ARCHIVED NEWS RELEASE
This document is provided for archival purposes only. Archived documents
do not reflect current WDFW regulations or policy and may contain factual
inaccuracies.
News release Dec. 4, 2018
OLYMPIA - Researchers working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will fly a drone over pygmy rabbit reintroduction sites located in Beezley Hills, Grant County and portions of the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area in Douglas County.
Flights will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are anticipated to take place before the end of February 2019. Flight timing will depend on the presence of adequate snow on the ground and suitable flight conditions.
The purpose of the flights is to test drone capabilities and effectiveness for tracking pygmy rabbit distribution and numbers in snowy conditions. Researchers will also use the drone to help determine the survival rate of reintroduced animals.
Collection of imagery by drone holds the potential to gather species distribution data in a safer and more efficient way than current methods.
For more on pygmy rabbit recovery efforts, please visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/pygmy_rabbit/.